Landrieu, Manning, others discuss Super Bowl XLVII plans

The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) and the Super Bowl XLVII Host Committee hosted a lunch at Manning's restaurant in the CBD today, outlining some of the major initiatives that will be rolled out around New Orleans for the Super Bowl, which will be played in the Superdome Feb. 3. The game itself will cap off more than a week of activity around the city.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu said that Miami was the only city to hold more Super Bowls than New Orleans (this will be New Orleans' 10th), and added, "We're really better than Miami and all the Super Bowls should be in New Orleans anyway."

Landrieu was joined by GNOSF president Jay Cicero, along with former Saints quarterback Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints and Hornets president Dennis Lauscha, and several speakers from the NFL and local hospitality industries.

A few key points:

• Woldenberg Park will become "Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard" for nearly a week, with concerts, staging areas and fan activities, supervised by Jazz Fest honcho Quint Davis and his Festival Productions. The NFL Network will be broadcasting 60 hours of live TV from the park, while NBC will have 40 hours of programming.

• The backdrop for the whole production will be the Super Bowl Roman numerals "XLVII" floating on a barge in the Mississippi River.

• The day before the Super Bowl will be the "Super Saturday of Service," in which volunteers will pitch in to repair and build new structures at five NORD playgrounds (one in each city council district).

• More than 5,000 credentialed media members from 20 countries are expected to cover the city.

• $11.765 million has been raised by corporate sponsorships to cover Super Bowl costs. Cicero said the goal is $13.5 million.

• The Super Bowl is banking names of potential volunteers. 8,000 people are expected to be needed. Wannabe volunteers can register here or text the word SUPER to 63566.

As for the fact that the French Quarter and CBD seem to be under semi-permanent road construction, Landrieu said, "All of the road projects are going to be done in time for the Super Bowl. I know it doesn't look like it. But you can take it to the bank."

As Gov. John Bel Edwards said, “The idea that you can be patriotic and be a Nazi at the same time — it’s the antithesis of patriotism.”

More by Kevin Allman

Reached by phone, Beatty said, "I hope to have something to say in the next couple of days." He asked Gambit how the news had gotten out, and was unaware that The Lens had announced his departure publicly.